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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Local media commits to advocate on gender
equality

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) – Several media
professionals of this city have expressed their commitment to advocate gender
sensitivity, equality in their programs and publications, during the Seminar on
Media and Gender Equality conducted by Paz y Desarrollo (PyD) held on Tuesday
at the Caraga State University (CSU) here.

PyD National Program Coordinator Lilia Perez
reiterated that its program in Caraga region is to promote gender equality in
political participation and contribute to the realization of women's political
and civil rights supporting initiatives that promote equal participation of women
and men in good governance and democracy.

“With our ‘Female Forward’ program, we are
promoting participation of women in the regional and national initiatives that
act as debate and analysis forum to increase women’s political and civil
participation; strengthen good governance for gender equality, promoting
women’s participation and incorporating gender equality in the political
agenda; and encourage initiatives on citizenship which promote women’s
political and civil rights,” Perez emphasized.

Also, Prof. Adrilene Mae Castaños of CSU
recalled that in 2010, PyD started a Regional Program to Promote Gender
Equality in Political Participation in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Philippines, Timor
Leste and Vietnam funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development
Cooperation (AECID).

"I was part of the team who did research on
Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) cases in Caraga region when PyD
started its program on gender equality. ARMM and Caraga regions were the pilot
areas of the research we conducted," she bared.

It was also learned that in the Philippines, the
PyD’s Female Forward Program, as it is locally known, is focused in the
provinces of Lanao del Sur (Marawi and Balindong) in the ARMM and Agusan del
Norte (Butuan City, Kitcharao, Santiago and Tubay) in Caraga; and aims to
contribute to the realization of women's political and civil rights.

Castaños also distinguished the definitions of
sex from gender. “When we say sex, it is the maleness and femaleness of an
individual. It is based on the chromosomes make up, and the external and
internal organs of the individual, while the gender, it is the cultural
construct of the maleness and femaleness of a person,” she clarified.

“As media professionals, you have a crucial role
in influencing the public. That’s why we hope that you could help us in our
campaign on gender equality. We are looking forward to working with you in our
future activities,” added Perez.

During the healthy discussion on gender issues
among media practitioners in their reportage, the participants representing
different local print and radio stations voluntarily expressed their commitment
by allowing officials of PyD and company to have a free air time program on a
weekly basis, as well as a column on the publication at the respective media outfits.
Posters of PyD’s ‘Female Forward’ program will also be posted outside the media
offices.

PyD is a non-government development and
gender-oriented organization founded in Cordoba, Spain in 1991. Over the last
20 years, PyD has worked with governments, civil society organizations and
educational institutions from various nations in carrying out programs and
projects that seeks to promote equality and social justice as a means to
achieve social change. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

PIA-Caraga intensifies advocacy on gender
equality

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) – As an active gender
advocate, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga headed by regional
director Abner Caga is intensifying its gender sensitivity and equality
advocacy among men and women in the region.

On behalf of RD Caga, operations chief Nora
Molde, concurrent information center manager of PIA-Agusan del Norte expressed
the agency’s continued support and commitment to personnel of Paz y Desarrollo
(PyD) during the Seminar on Media and Gender Equality held at Caraga State
University (CSU) here.

“Promotion of gender equality is part of our
priority in our information dissemination. We will continue to utilize our
platforms for our advocacy on gender equality since we believe that peace and
development will be sustained if gender equality is present in the community,”
bared Molde.

PIA has been disseminating information through
its Short Messaging Service/textblast, press and photo releases, One Mindanao
Electronic News Magazine, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and the Power FM.

“We have been an active partner of the Gender
and Development Coordinating Committee chaired by Commission on Human Rights Caraga regional director Atty. Marylin Pintor. PIA is constantly supporting and documenting all the
gender-related activities of the committee,” added Molde.

Meanwhile, Arjay Arellano, Communication and
Advocacy Officer of PyD extended his thanks to PIA for being an active
partner-advocate. “This ‘Female Forward’ program of PyD, along with gender
equality program is just a five-year implementation but we believe that with
your help, this advocacy will continue as the PIA being the information arm of
the government has also its mission to sustain lasting peace and development,”
he remarked.

PyD Philippines is working on the implementation
of the “Female Forward! Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up!” communication and advocacy
plan. The plan foresees not only basic awareness raising activities but also
capacity building trainings and workshops on Gender Sensitivity for Media.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) - The Trade Union
Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), in cooperation with the Japan International
Labor Foundation (JILAF) will hold the Constructive Industrial Relations,
Employment Security, and Equitable Income national conference on May 13-14,
2014 at the Traders Hotel in Manila.

Former senator and TUCP president Ernesto
Herrera said the two-day conference hopes to contribute to the achievement of
decent work and inclusive growth for all and the strengthening of the TUCP and
its affiliate federations and enterprise-based unions.

Herrera said the event also aims to provide an
opportunity for union leaders to understand and analyze current labor and
employment realities, issues, and challenges at the national and enterprise
levels and explain/discuss TUCP’s perspectives and positions on industrial
relations and decent work.

“The activity will also engage government and
employers on discussions towards constructive industrial relations, including
on employment security, equitable income, and decent work, among others; derive
lessons from the experiences of Japanese unions and those of other countries
where JILAF operates and develop a trade union action and recommendations
towards achieving decent work, inclusive growth and workers’ rights,” Herrera
added.

Some one hundred trade union leaders and
activists are expected to attend.

It was learned that officials from JILAF,
Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Japanese Labor Attaché’
Hiroyuki Enoki and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary
Rosalinda Baldoz are also invited to grace the said event.

TUCP is an affiliate of the International Trade
Union Council (ITUC), a worldwide umbrella association of labor unions.
(FEA/PIA-Caraga)

AgSur vice gov to discuss leadership with PRC
stakeholders

By David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, May 7 (PIA) - Some 36
stakeholders of the Philippine Red Cross Agusan del Sur Chapter (PRC-AdS) will
benefit the training on leadership to be discussed by Vice Gov. Santiago Cane
Jr. in time with the celebration of the World Red Cross Red Crescent Day on
Thursday, May 8, 2014.

The stakeholders/participants who will
participate in the discussion are composed of Chapter Base Volunteers, Red
Cross Action Team members, Barangay Captains from project areas of Bunawan and
Esperanza and the Red Cross 143 Presidents and Coordinators with Maternal
Neonatal and Child Health coordinators and partners for resilient projects and
the PRC Agusan del Sur Chapter Board Members.

According to PRC-AdS Chapter Administrator
Darwina Ligan, the May 8 celebration will be celebrated by 188 Red Cross and
Red Crescent National Societies worldwide, including the Philippine Red Cross,
being the birth date of Henry Dunant, father of the Red Cross who was born on
May 8, 1828.

The PRC-AdS will also take the opportunity to
give awards and recognition to members and volunteers who have one way or
another, shared their spirit of volunteerism with the PRC-AdS in times of
disasters and calamities, including those who have spent restless days and
nights at the hard hit by typhoon “Yolanda” in Samar and Leyte.

Games and amusements will also take place in the
afternoon after the formal discussion and awarding to keep the bonding of the
Red Cross volunteers burning for another challenge that may come.
(DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Easier compliance for pensioners seen with
SSS-NSO partnership

MANILA, May 7 (PIA) - As part of measures to
make transactions convenient for members, the Social Security System (SSS) has
partnered with the National Statistics Office (NSO) in developing a data
matching program that will regularly scan the civil registry for deaths and
marriages of SSS pensioners to verify their continued eligibility to pension.

The SSS-NSO partnership was forged under a
memorandum of agreement signed by SSS President and Chief Executive Officer
Emilio de Quiros, Jr. and NSO Administrator Carmelita Ericta on February 14,
2014.

Rita Baloy, SSS Officer-in-Charge for Benefits
Administration, said the SSS-NSO partnership may pave the way for the eventual
waiving of the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) – or the required visit
or submission of documents to reconfirm pension eligibility -- for certain
types of pensioners.

The pensioner's death, remarriage of a surviving
spouse and marriage of a dependent below age 21 are among the reasons for the
permanent stoppage of pensions. However, monitoring other factors for pension
cancellation – such as employment, cohabitation and recovery from disability
--- still needs the ACOP since these cannot be checked using NSO data.

“While the development of the new SSS-NSO
project is underway, ACOP compliance is still expected of all SSS pensioners at
present to ensure the continued release of their pension,” Baloy emphasized.

During 'Phase 1” or the pilot implementation,
the SSS-NSO data matching will initially focus on pensioners aged 80 and above
who, in consideration of their health conditions, were allowed to submit their
ACOP requirements through a representative or via mail.

“Under the pilot run scheduled this year, SSS
will no longer require the yearly ACOP visit or submission of documents for
pensioners aged 80 and above, since we will instead check their current status
using NSO records,” Baloy said. “If the pilot implementation is successful, we
shall proceed to 'Phase 2' that will involve NSO data matching for all SSS
pensioners.”

With the wider access to NSO records, the SSS
can readily secure the necessary certifications to verify the documents
submitted by pensioners under the ACOP to ensure their authenticity.

Aside from helping pensioners with the ACOP,
benefits of the SSS-NSO partnership are also seen to reach the greater SSS
membership, since NSO will provide SSS a facility to secure certificates on
behalf of transacting members and beneficiaries, thereby making the process
more convenient for them.

The direct release of certificates from NSO to
SSS will also help facilitate faster processing of benefit claims and other SSS
transactions. NSO documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates are
normally required by SSS to ensure the authenticity of claims filed by members
and beneficiaries. (SSS/PIA-Caraga)

Agnor solon welcomes Agriculture department
‘clean up’

QUEZON CITY, May 7 (PIA) - Agusan del Norte
First District Representative Lawrence ”Law” Fortun has welcomed the move of
President Benigno S. Aquino III in ‘cleaning-up’ the Department of Agriculture
(DA) “which has been wracked by charges of corruption and cronyism under
Secretary Proceso Alcala.”

Reacting to the appointment of former Senator
Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan as Presidential Adviser on Food Security and
Agricultural Modernization with specific instructions to do some serious “house
cleaning” of the agency, Fortun said that this move of the President will be a
big boost to the administration’s thrust of seriously combating corruption in
the government.

With the appointment of Pangilinan, he will take
over the supervision of the National Food Authority (NFA), National Irrigation
Administration (NIA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Fertilizer and
Pesticide Authority (FPA). The said agencies have been hounded by various
corruption scandals over the past years.

Fortun said that he is hopeful that this will
address the problem of corruption and poor performance of these agencies,
especially NIA which he assailed in a privilege speech before members of the
House of Representatives. The solon lambasted the said agency for the
unfinished projects in his district but was reported to be completed. It is
expected that upon resumption of the session of the House, a full-blown
investigation will be conducted by the Committee on Good Government and Public
Accountability. (LAWig Katawhan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)

Surigao City steps up drive vs measles

SURIGAO DEL NORTE, May 7 (PIA) – Health
personnel in Surigao City have stepped up their measles awareness and
immunization campaign following the increase in the number of cases recorded
from January to April, 2014.

Dr. Arlene T. Felizarta of the City Health
Office and Family Medicine Expert, said during the recently held City Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council emergency meeting that the disease has
already claimed one life. "The victim is from Barangay Mapawa and died on
April 2, 2014," said Felizarta.

As 5 p.m. Tuesday, Felizarta said they have
recorded a total of 137 cases of measles.

“Most of the victims came from the barangays of
Taft, Washington, Canlanipa, San Juan, Cagniog, Luna, Rizal, Mabua, Mat-i,
Togbongon, Ipil, Mapawa, Trinidad, Cabongbongan, Capalayan, Nabago, Quezon, San
Jose, Balibayon, Serna and Punta Bilar. Ages of cases ranged from one month to
54 years old and majority of cases were male with 53-60 percent, while 39
percent were female and 68 percent of cases belonged to 0 to 10 years age,”
Felizarta added.

She also said that they have already visited
several affected barangays to administer measles vaccines to the victims.
"We have also set up two operations centers located in Luneta Park and
Nueva Gym where suspected measles cases are handled and processed,"
Felizarta said. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

News Feature: MRDP2: Bridging Dreams to Reality

By Emmylou T. Presilda

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) - “We have been
dreaming of this bridge for as long as I can remember. Now it’s a reality.”
Fifty-eight year old farmer Mateo Garcia of Nuevo Trabajo was teary-eyed as he
tried to recall the hardships he went through over the years.

“Many years ago when there was no hanging bridge
yet, we have no choice but to carry our sacks of corn on our back while
crossing the river knee-deep. If there
was an available boat, we would load our products at least four times and pay
P50 per trip to the other side of the river," said Garcia.

“Our prayers are finally answered,” he added.

The hanging bridge, which was constructed
wayback 1998 has offered a little improvement.
Although farmers’ products can already be transported in motorcycles,
farmers have to spend the same for hauling.
For the elementary pupils, it has become a little safer since they no
longer have to cross the river either by boat or by foot.

But the danger was not over yet until the local
government of San Luis, Agusan del Sur was able to avail of the Rural
Infrastructure (RI) fund under the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural
Development Program 2 (DA-MRDP2).

The project links the access road from the
barangay proper benefitting a population of 1,289 comprising 267 households of
mostly Indigenous People (IP).

“We are very happy that after many years of
waiting, the bridge is finally here. To
us, this bridge does not only serve as support to agricultural productivity but
more importantly, a means of saving peoples’ lives,” Barangay Captain Roberto
Ceno said.

According to Ceno, the whole area of Nuevo
Trabajo is prone to flooding. Maasam
river would always overflow when it rains heavily putting at risk the lives of
the people especially the children who are studying at a nearby elementary
school. With the bridge already in
place, people will already have an easy way out from the flood-prone area in
times of emergency.

In terms of agricultural productivity, barangay
Nuevo Trabajo is the production base for the municipality of San Luis with 220
hectares contiguous area for corn going to barangay Sta. Inez and Masalang with
700 hectares. Rice area currently
cultivated is 20 hectares and 3,000 potential areas to be opened for
production.

The bridge’ benefit also include: reduce travel
time from 25 to 10 minutes from the farm to the market; reduce freight and
handling cost of agri products; eliminate damages of goods during hauling; and,
facilitate immediate delivery of newly harvested farm products.

“I am truly happy right now to see the happiness
in the faces of the people here and I am grateful that you have implemented
this project very well as I can see in the quality of the bridge that has been
built,” DA-13 acting director Edna Mabeza said during the turnover. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)

Feature: Being blind does not mean having no
vision

By Gervacio C. Dauz, Jr.

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) - During his heyday as
a sighted person in his early 20’s, Mimsi Quiapo used to have a lady love, who
owned a repair shop somewhere in Iligan City.
Their union as common law husband and wife netted for them a bundle of
joy, whom they adorably christened to as Kimberly.

To support his growing family, Mimsi helped in
her darling’s shop by attending to the clients’ needs and seconding likewise as
a welder as the need arises. Having no
knowledge at all with the need and importance of putting on protective gears,
he just blindly buckled to work and welded available jobs from sunup until
sundown. When he felt that his eyes got
stuck with gravelly matters, making him ill at ease for a protracted time,
still he consulted not the advice and expert intervention of an
ophthalmologist. His frail eyes further
weakened until it gradually lost its sight.
Too late by then when he sought the doctor’s help as his eyes’ infirmity
had already become irreversible.

On top of his predicament, his lady love who
used to have an angel’s wings, had switched on to flying on her own via a
broomstick. Left alone, he pondered what
life could offer him ahead because of the double whammy. Good that in the ensuing severance of ties,
his lone daughter sided and stuck it out with him through thick and thin –
maybe because of pity or sympathy.

When I asked him if he had tried seeking for
alms, as what many blind people are usually doing, he shook his head. “Before my eyesight left me for good,” he
shared, “I endeavored to undergo massage training in year 1994 under the
auspices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Cotabato
City.” Thus, “when I became a
full-pledged, through and through blind, I got comfort and dignity in being a
productive person by offering my skills in massage to those who needed my
services.” And it has become his bread
and butter ever since.

As one looking for a greener pasture, he got
employed as a regular mainstay at the Golden Blind Massage in Capistrano,
Cagayan de Oro City. From there, he got
pirated by another massage establishment, the Oro Blind Massage. When it folded shop because the building at
said lucrative location was purchased, he eventually transferred to the main
branch of Oro Blind Massage in Butuan City.
Since 1996 up to this day, he has become a mainstay in said
establishment with avid clients seeking his therapeutic touch when the tough
gets going.

Even if he could be considered as an “old dog”
already as far as the trade is concerned, yet he knows how to welcome some “new
tricks” that would upgrade his services.
Having heard through word of mouth that the Butuan City Manpower
Training Center here is dangling a special scholarship package in Massage
Therapy NC II for blind people like him, he wasted no time in grabbing the
opportunity.

Together with other blind hopefuls, he entered
the portals of the training center, which is run and managed by the local
government, somewhere in July 2012, breezed through with the skills training
under the tutelage of Charlie Orias, and graduated in November 2012 as one
confidently armed with a National Certification Level II in Massage Therapy.

When I asked whether there’s a plus factor in
acquiring NC II or not, he quipped that “our government is already requiring
it. Likewise, it is also for those
clients who are either fickle-headed or plain curious by asking blind fellows
like me if we got some legal credentials up our sleeves.”

He got more accommodating when I shared that I
used to have a blind auntie also and that on several occasions during my
boyhood years I became her guide in order to seek for alms. When I told him she died years ago, he did
not pursue in quizzing me further. In
return, he shared that he is also getting “a modest income out of my massage
venture – at least between two to four clients per night at P220.00 each, tips
not included yet. But this is towards
the evening period. By day, I would
conduct my own home service to further augment my income.”

“What about Kimberly?” I hastened to ask. “Ah, she’s still my able and willing guide if
ever I need her eyesight,” he responded.
“But she’s already married and has her own family. And I’m happy for her.”

“So, you must be a very responsible father after
all?” I bantered. He just smiled as one
who appears to be fulfilled.

As the dusk started enveloping the veranda of
Oro Blind Massage in Montilla Boulevard here, and the surprise blackout
exacerbated further in obscuring my facility of journal writing, I toned down
our conversation, courteously shook his hand as a sign of gratitude, and then
thanked him for the time and effort he spent with me.

When we parted ways and I got obscured by the
darkness, I felt delighted from within . . . as if light had illuminated me,
all because an inspiration just came from Mimsi. That fellow educated me that being blind need
not necessarily mean lowering one’s dignity nor acting apologetically and
pitiable by scouring places like vagabonds in order to seek for alms from
strangers. Mind you, it seemed as if
he’s saying to me: “Being blind does not mean having no vision.” In the same
vein, Helen Keller, that blind but famous American author, has almost the same
thing to share: “It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” (TESDA-Agusan
del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)

MANILA, May 7 (PIA) - After expanding its
network of tie-ups with informal sector groups, microfinance institutions and
cooperatives, the Social Security System (SSS) has now rolled out new linkages
with local government units (LGUs) in “unbanked” island provinces that do not
have accessible banking systems and payment facilities. This is an alternative
means to sustain active SSS membership by making regular payment of contributions
and loans convenient and within reach.

“SSS partnerships with LGUs, especially those in
island provinces and far-flung areas, strengthen our campaign to provide social
protection to workers and their beneficiaries regardless of geographic location
and economic status,” noted Josie Magana, SSS Vice President for Luzon
Operations Group.

The LGUs in Alabat, Perez and Quezon – which are
fifth-class municipalities comprising Alabat Island in Quezon province – have
started collecting payments for SSS contributions and loans within the first
quarter of 2014 as part of their respective Collection Agency Agreements (CAA)
with SSS.

Alabat Island, SSS' pilot area for its CAA with
LGUs, has an estimated labor force of 24,500, with fishing and farming as
common sources of livelihood. It also has a flourishing cottage industry
producing native bags, rice cakes, camote chips, cashew polvoron and espasol,
among others.

“In the past, Alabat residents had to take a
50-minute RORO ride to Atimonan, Quezon to remit their SSS payments. One-way
trip costs P95, and the RORO is scheduled to depart for Alabat only at 10 a.m.
and go back to Atimonan at 12 noon,” Magana explained. “Although small boats
are available an hour ahead of RORO schedule, Alabat residents are taking risks
riding them due to the water current.”

“Alabat residents who miss the scheduled return
trips are forced to stay overnight in Atimonan, incurring additional costs for
food and lodging. But with an SSS payment facility right at their LGU, the
money they can save may be used instead to augment their SSS contributions,”
she added.

Employers, self-employed and voluntary members
can now pay at the Municipal Treasurer's Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
weekdays. As part of the CAA, the LGU will report their transactions to the
nearest SSS branch on a daily basis via email to facilitate the quick posting
of members' payments.

“By accrediting LGUs as SSS collecting agents,
we help these workers from previously overlooked areas become covered – and
more importantly, become active SSS members – so that they and their loved ones
can avail themselves of SSS benefits in times of financial need,” Magana said.

Apart from bringing social protection closer to
their constituents, accredited LGUs also benefit from the P6.00 service fee per
successful transaction to be paid to them by SSS under the CAA.

The SSS has also incorporated security measures
in the new LGU-based payment system to protect the remitted contributions and
loan amortizations of members, Magana noted. (SSS/PIA-Caraga)